Sox handle Royals, 8-1

Monday

May wasn't a moving month for the Red Sox, who find themselves today pretty much where they were 30 days ago.

But it was still a merry month for the team, which went 18-11, and for David Ortiz and Jon Lester.

Ortiz got finally got his mojo back, slugging 10 homers, including a two-run shot into the bleachers yesterday, the key hit in the Sox's 8-1 series-splitting win over the Kansas City Royals.

It was his first double-digit homer month since August of 2006, something he wasn't aware of until asked about it after the game. He slugged a club record 54 homers in '06, so any stat related to that season is good.

“He looks dangerous,” said Mike Cameron, who had a pair of doubles and scored on Ortiz's homer in the fifth. “That's a good sign for the Boston Red Sox.”

Lester, meanwhile, gave up just one run over seven innings, picking up his fifth win of May. It was the most wins he's ever had in a month.

His streak actually goes back to late April. He's 6-0 with a 1.43 ERA over his last eight starts going back to April 23.

He didn't have great command, especially early, walking three and giving up a pair of doubles in the first three innings, but he found himself.

“That's our job, to kind of find a way to get deep in games,” Lester said.

Catcher Jason Varitek, who clubbed his seventh homer of the season, to cap off the Sox scoring in the eighth, said Lester had good stuff, but was just missing. A visit from pitching John Farrell who told the lefty to speed up his delivery a bit seemed to help.